Weekly Update for 4/13/26 - 4/17/26
Dear KPS families,
I hope everyone had a wonderful Spring Break. Please see the weekly update below. Enjoy your weekend!
Sincerely,
Vincent Fino
Principal
Kent Primary School
KPS Parent Input Form 26-27:
As we prepare for the upcoming school year, we are beginning the important work of organizing class placements in May. Our goal during this process is to create balanced, heterogeneous classrooms where all students can thrive—socially, emotionally, and academically. We value your partnership and unique insights about your child. To support us in making informed placement decisions, we invite families of students in grades K–3 to complete the Class Placement Form linked below.
While we cannot honor specific teacher requests, we welcome your input about your child’s learning style, peer dynamics, and any other considerations that may help us create the most supportive learning environment possible.
I'd also like to share a little about the process we follow when making classes each year. Beginning in April-May. we will meet in teams (grade-level teachers, ENL teachers, special education teachers, school clinicians, etc.) to place students in classes for the following year. During these meetings, several factors are considered when placing students, including but not limited to this parent input form, work habits, abilities, peer relationships, and behavior. After the classes are created by our initial team, we have our special area team (music, art, P.E.) review each class as they work with and know your children quite well, often offering different viewpoints and suggestions. We then reconvene, taking into account all suggestions, and adjust classes accordingly. Significant time, effort, and energy is put into making the best possible learning environment for all students - this is a process we do not take lightly, and I wanted to share that with you all.
Thank you for being a vital part of our school community. Your collaboration helps us build classrooms where every child can grow, feel included, and succeed. - Vincent Fino
Link to KPS Parent Input Form 26:27: KPS Parent Input Form For Class Placement 26-27 – Fill out form
KPS Talent Show: Dress Rehearsal on 4/16 and Show Night! On 4/17. Please see attached flier.
4th Grade Applebee’s Fundraiser on 4/18: Please see attached flier for more info.
CCSD Elementary School Color-A-Thon 4/18: Please see attached flier for more info.
Cereal Box Domino Challenge: The 3rd grade is hosting a schoolwide “Cereal Donation” event to explore gravity in connection with our solar system unit. The cereal box collection will end on April 17th – please see the flier attached.
Kindergarten Registration is Open for 26-27: Please see this link for more information: New Student Registration - Carmel Central School District
🌍✨ Carmel CSD Multicultural Fair ✨🌍
Join us for an evening of culture, community, and celebration on May 15th from 5–8 PM at George Fischer Middle School!
Enjoy:
🍽️ Delicious foods from around the world
💃 Cultural dances & live performances
🎶 Music & entertainment
🎯 Kids activities & scavenger hunt
We’re inviting local families, businesses, and organizations to participate by sharing their culture—whether through food, a table display, or a performance!
💚 Community involvement needed! Come celebrate diversity and help bring our community together in a fun and meaningful way.
We are better together 💙
Reflecting on Paraprofessional Appreciation Day – April 1st:
Paraprofessionals fall under the NYSUIT title of Student Related Professionals (often called by an antiquated title in NYS as SESA or monitor) Paraprofessionals play a crucial and irreplaceable role in our school environments, classrooms and communities providing a necessary array of services that help ALL students succeed. Paraprofessionals also serve as a one-to-one professional for special education students and students with medical needs, making sure all their IEP and 504 accommodations are met daily. Paraprofessionals are the heartbeats of any school.
Thank you to our Paraprofessionals for all the work that you do each and every day! CCSD SEPTO appreciates everything you do!
We are better together 💙
CBT Testing for Grades 3-4: CBT (state testing) ELA will take place on 4/14 - 4/15 and the CBT (state testing) Math Exam will take place on May 4th and 5th.
In anticipation of next week's state testing, student laptops will stay at school starting tomorrow, April 7th, through Wednesday, April 15th, to ensure all devices are charged. We will do this same procedure on Thursday, April 30th, through Tuesday, May 5th, for the second round of state testing. Thank you for your assistance and have a wonderful rest of the week.
Standardized Testing and Our Commitment to Student Success:
As we approach the upcoming standardized testing period for students in grades 3-8, I want to take a moment to reaffirm our collective commitment to the academic growth and success of all our students.
Standardized testing is a key component of our educational system, providing valuable insights into student learning, the effectiveness of instruction and overall school performance. The data from these assessments helps us tailor teaching strategies to better meet individual student needs and evaluate the strength of our districtwide curriculum.
We understand that standardized testing can bring a range of emotions for students, parents and educators alike. It is our shared responsibility to ensure that the testing experience is as positive and supportive as possible, in alignment with our goal of fostering a nurturing and effective learning environment.
To address concerns about potential stress or anxiety, our district has implemented strategies to create a calm and supportive atmosphere during the testing period. These strategies include clear communication with students about the purpose of the assessments, the provision of helpful resources and guidance on effective test-taking techniques. We encourage open and ongoing dialogue between parents, teachers and students to ensure that we approach the testing process together in a constructive and collaborative way.
Additionally, I would like to stress the importance of student participation in the testing process. The data we gather from these assessments not only highlights areas for growth but also plays a crucial role in maintaining and improving the academic standards of our district.
Thank you for your continued dedication to supporting quality education and fostering a positive learning environment within Carmel Central School District. If you have any questions or concerns about the testing process, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your child’s principal or the district office.
We truly appreciate your partnership in helping our students thrive.
Kent Library Field Trip: I’m excited to share that Kent Primary School students will be going on a field trip to Kent Library during the first week of June. There will be all sorts of reading activities and fun for the students. In advance of the trip, please see this link if your student does not have a library card yet: Mid-Hudson Library System / KEN
Kent Library Field Trip Schedule:
June 3rd - 2nd grade a.m. and 4th grade p.m.
June 4th - 1st grade a.m. and Kdg. p.m.
June 5th - 3rd Grade a.m.
The bus times for a.m. trips would be as follows: leave school at 9:45, arrive at library at 10:00, leave library at 11:15 and arrive back to KPS at 11:30.
The bus times for p.m. trips would be as follows: leave school at 1:05, arrive at library at 1:20, leave library at 2:50 and arrive back to KPS at 3:05.
AM Drop-Off/ PM Pick-Up: This is a friendly reminder to please stay alert during the morning drop-off and continue to move forward with the drop-off line as it progresses. This helps ensure a smooth and safe arrival for all students. In the afternoon, we kindly ask that you leave school grounds promptly after signing out your child. Doing so will help you avoid getting caught behind departing buses and will also keep our sidewalks clear for students heading to their buses.
Thank you for your cooperation and attention to this matter — your support helps keep our school community safe and efficient.
Please limit pick-ups between 2:30 PM – 3:00 PM for medical appointments/emergencies, as they disrupt our preparation for the school–wide building dismissal. Thank you for your assistance.
Tick Season is Here: As we move into warmer weather, we want to remind everyone that tick season is here. Ticks can carry illnesses such as Lyme Disease, so it's important to take steps to keep your children safe.
Here are some helpful tips:
- Wear long sleeves and pants when outdoors, especially in grassy or wooded areas.
- Use tick repellent on clothing and exposed skin.
- Check for ticks regularly, particularly after outdoor activities.
- Shower or bathe soon after spending time outside to remove ticks that may be on the body.
- Remove ticks carefully using fine-tipped tweezers, if you find one attached.
Please encourage your child to notify a staff member if they feel they’ve been exposed to ticks, so we can take the necessary precautions. Please see this link from the U.S. Department of Agriculture about additional information regarding tick precaution: Checking for ticks | US Forest Service. We appreciate your cooperation in keeping our school community safe.
Attendance: Consistent attendance is essential to every student’s success. Our attendance policy is supported by the New York State Department which defines chronic
absenteeism as missing 10 percent of school days; a total of 18 days throughout the school year. With our commitment to student success in mind, we are steadfast in our obligation to notify families of their child’s attendance to ensure that they are able to access their education.
Attendance letters are mailed home periodically throughout the school year as another means to notify parents/guardians of their child’s attendance. These letters are informational and serve as a reminder that a student's success is in direct correlation to their attendance rates. All students of a compulsory age are required to be in school. If a student is absent due to illness, a parent note and/or doctor note is required for the absence to be deemed "excused." The chronic absenteeism definition of missing 18 days or more throughout the school year is regardless of whether absences are excused or unexcused.
Carmel Central School District is dedicated to the success of its students, and we would like to thank you for your continued support as we help shape our students and create a foundation where they can thrive.
Sincerely,
Vincent Fino
Principal
Kent Primary School
